Concerning Hobbits
by chequeredsweetheart
Summary: The story behind the friendship between two young Hobbits, Merry and Pippin, their adventures and mishaps before and during the quest to destory the ring. The summary sucks!
1. Concerning cousins & heights of hobbits

Concerning Hobbits

Merry and Pippin are unexplored characters in the book and though obviously very close this friendship is never truly developed or touched upon. Here are several events from Merry and Pippins early lives up to and leading into the quest to destroy the ring. It's basically just me developing the story of my two favourite characters and bit more and detailing some of the mischief they no doubt got up to before they joined the fellowship. Enjoy, or not, whichever. PLEASE REVIEW! Flames help Sauron's fire burn so, no thank you! (The events are all dated by the way and this is all compltely accurate with the world Tolkien created, I researched meticulously, also if they seem a bit out of character remeber they are younger here and much more care free!)

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! (So there!) ALL THE WORK OF THE GENIUS THAT IS J.R.!

**2990 –Concerning cousins and the heights of Hobbits**

Meriadoc Brandybuck wriggled in his seat on the hard wooden bench and sighed. He swung his legs and tried to make patterns out of the polished tiles that lined the floor of the passageway, make creatures out of the grooves in the smooth plaster that swept across the curving walls and met the beams of the ceiling but nothing was interesting enough to catch his attention. He didn't want to be here on a wooden bench, he didn't even want to be in the Great Smials, in fact he could think of at least five other places he'd rather be, no of them in Tuckborough where he currently was stranded. However he was here, in Tuckborough, in the Great Smials, sitting on a hard wooden bench, waiting. He didn't understand why they had to travel all the way from Buckland across the shire to the West farthing, Tookborough, every time a member of the Took clan decided to have another hobbit child. This time it was his Aunt and Uncle having a child.

He had asked his mother why on middle earth they had to be there and his mother had smiled irritably and explained that her brother's wife was having a child and she was there to support them and he was there to meet a very important person. He asked her the same question each time and each time she gave the same answer. He never understood it seeing as the Tooks and the Brandybucks never really seemed to get on that well.

He wondered what was so special about having hobbit children anyway, all they did was squawk and squeal and be a nuisance. 'It will be another cousin for you Merry' his mother had told him. ANOTHER cousin, Merry had despaired, he already had cousins coming out of his ears and he prayed to anyone who might be listening that it wasn't another girl like Pearl or Pimpernel.

Merry wriggled again and returned to the book his cousin Frodo had lent him, Frodo was the only cousin Merry actually liked, he was a good deal older than Merry being in his tweens whilst Merry was only eight. Frodo lived with Bilbo Baggins in Bag end in Hobbiton and Merry spent a great deal of time running around causing mischief for the two of them. Recently Frodo had discovered that the best way to keep Merry quiet was to give him intellectual stimulus and the little hobbit had been reading and studying maps ever since, drinking in tales of forgotten cities, mountains of gold and creatures never before dreamed of in the Shire. His father Saradoc was not fully aware of his only child's obsession with knowledge. If he had been he probably would have put a stop to it. 'Knowledge leads to curiosity about the outside world and curiosity led to peculiar behavior' and despite the Brandybucks reputation for being rather unhobbit like in their manner, there were standards.

Merry was hoping that one day he would read a book that told him why hobbits didn't just pop out of the ground and start running around, why they had to be born, he could never ask anyone of course, they would just look at him like he'd asked about Bilbo Baggins and dwarfs or the mountains of fire to the east. Merry longed to see the rest of the world out there, it wasn't that he minded being a hobbit, far from it, good food, comfort and excellent company was all that was required to keep him happy, a hobbits life indeed, but there was one thing that Merry didn't like about being a hobbit and it was rather a major issue as far as hobbits were concerned, he didn't like being so small.

Merry had only been four when his fate to be an adventurous hobbit was sealed, he didn't know it at the time but that one experience would shape him into the mischievous and curious hobbit he became. He had been running through the dense, slightly oppressive Old Forest to the south of Buckland, after Frodo, who lived in Buckleberry at the time, when his cousin had disappeared from sight leaving a small and slightly frightened Merry all alone.

*****

"Are you alright little one?" Merry nearly shot three feet into the air and spun around to see who had spoken. There before him stood an enormous man, though his ears were pointed like Merry's own meaning he couldn't be a human. He had to be an elf, like the ones out of Mr Bilbo's stories. He closed his mouth, which he realised was hanging open, and swallowed.

The elf didn't smile but Merry saw the glint of mirth shining in his eyes and relaxed.

"My name is Thranduil, and what might yours be?" the elf settled himself on a mossy log, stretching his long limbs out before him and looked expectantly at the little hobbit.

Merry decided that there was no way this huge elf was going to see him, Meriadoc Brandybuck, afraid of anything, so he stood up tall and puffed out his chest before replying, "Meriadoc Brandybuck, son of Saradoc Brandybuck, Master of Buckland."

"Are you not a little small to be master of Buckland?" Thranduil's eyes twinkled.

Merry smiled "I am not yet master of Buckland, my father is, as well you know. Now Master elf, I do hate to be a bore but I feel I must ask, as my father is at present away in hobbiton I shall ask on his behalf, what are you doing in Buckland?" Thranduil did smile this time, his whole face relaxing at the little hobbits words, had he not seen the twinkle of mischief in the hobbits eyes he would have refrained and answered in a tone as serious as the hobbits but he knew when he was being teased, two thousands years walking middle earth had taught him that.

"Well, if you really want to know, I was looking for little Halflings to capture and take back to Mirkwood and put to work in our woods!" to Thranduil's great surprise instead of running away screaming childishly the little hobbit looked positively thrilled.

"Really, can I really go to Mirkwood with you?" Merry surprised himself, he hadn't realised he wanted to see the rest of Middle earth that much but now he came to think about it he knew he would never be content just seeing the Shire when he knew of all the amazing places out there, waiting to be discovered.

"I'm afraid not, little Halfling" Thranduil continued to smile, "but one day, if you ever find yourself in the woodland realm, ask for Thranduil and I will be at your service" Merry hopped with joy, now he had an excuse to go somewhere as hobbits are nothing if not polite and it would be the height of bad manners to refuse an invitation to visit, even if it was from an elf.

"Only if you can promise me second breakfast" Merry giggled and Thranduil who had heard of the hobbit races great love of food, smiled and nodded.

"Merry!" Merry turned as he heard Frodo calling him.

"One minute" he replied then turned to the elf, who was now standing, a good four feet above Merry, "I have to go but I'll be sure to visit if I'm ever in Mirkwood" the little hobbit smiled and waved at the elf as he ran threw the trees towards Frodo. Thranduil continued to smile and thought to himself that he really must tell his son Legolas Greenleaf about this strange little hobbit who one day might turn up asking for second breakfast.

*****

Merry looked up out of his thoughts to see his mother walking down the winding hallway of the great Smials, a little bundle of gurgling hobbit in her arms.

"Merry, this is your new cousin Peregrin Took" Merry looked down at the hobbit baby, eyes huge and green, winking up at him. Even in his befuddled state the baby had a mischievous smiled on his lips and Merry smiled down at him. 'Were going to have some fun little one, or we will when I've learnt how to say your name'

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PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	2. Concerning Yule Tide Snow & cold fingers

Concerning Hobbits

Merry and Pippin are unexplored characters in the book and though obviously very close this friendship is never truly developed or touched upon. Here are several events from Merry and Pippins early lives up to and leading into the quest to destroy the ring. It's basically just me developing the story of my two favourite characters and bit more and detailing some of the mischief they no doubt got up to before they joined the fellowship. Enjoy, or not, whichever. PLEASE REVIEW! Flames help Sauron's fire burn so, no thank you! (The events are all dated by the way and this is all compltely accurate with the world Tolkien created, I researched meticulously, also if they seem a bit out of character remeber they are younger here and much more care free!)

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! (So there!) ALL THE WORK OF THE GENIUS THAT IS J.R.! (I reworded the song but I take no credit for the original!)

**2996 – Concerning fireworks and annoying cousins**

Merry grinned widely and then waved the offending object at Pippin. He giggled at Pippins pout and then stuck his tongue out at Pippin over the table.

"Merry!" Pippin wined and stopedhis foot before moving to go around the table sat in the centre of the cosy kitch of Bag End. Merry moved with him keeping the same distance between them.

"Merry, give it back" Merry simply grinned and shook his head. He would never really upset Pippin, but hearing him whine and get annoyed always made Merry laugh.

"Not until you admit that you took the last piece of seed cake" Merry's eyes flashed with an evil smile.

"No, I didn't, I told you it was Fatty Bolger"

"Pippin," Merry tried to contain his laughter, it wouldn't go well with the mock outrage he had going on here "How dare you tell such untruths, I have a mind to tell aunt Eglantine exactly what you said!"

"You wouldn't!" Pippin tried to sound as though he was certain, though he really wasn't; he flipped a golden curl out of his eyes and glared over the table at his older cousin. Merry had just turned fourteen and Pippin was only six but they got on like a house on fire, Merry didn't quite let Pippin follow him around without question but he didn't seem to mind, he spent most of his time running around with Frodo and the older hobbits anyway so he couldn't really complain. Pippin idolised Merry though he would never tell him so. Merry was one of those hobbits you broke down laughing with or chased out of your way without mercy. Merry found either situation hilarious and knew Pippin was starting to emulate him, and getting into increasing amounts of trouble with his father Paladin Took but Merry would not stop the little hobbits fun until he was really heading for hot water.

Pippin had been following his cousin around since he could walk and had watched Merry become increasingly mischievous and outlandish for a hobbit as the years had progressed. For instance he knew that, when Merry was twelve he had learnt to swim in the Brandywine River, (after falling out of a boat he wasn't supposed to be in, in the first place) that Merry had kissed Estella Bolger under the table at the last Yule Banquet and that Merry was planning to go to the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree when he reached his tweens, just because he could.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck, you had better not be teasing little Pippin!" Merry heard Bilbo Baggins calling from the hallway and smiled, the whole family appeared to have adopted his nickname for Pippin which he had thought up so he didn't have to struggle to say Peregrin each time he wanted or was talking about his cousin.

"I'm not" he grinned at Pippin and then with a flourish flung Pippins new scarf in his direction and flew out of the round kitchen door. Pippin sighed and tied his scarf neatly around his neck and reached for his cloak before following Merry out into the snow. It was just two days before the Yule Banquet and every hobbit in the Shire was making last minute preparations for the great night of feasting and dancing that would be held on the great field below bag end. It was rumored that Gandalf would be making an appearance with some of his spectacular fireworks. Merry could hear Pippin panting behind him and giggled as he took another turn that would stop Pippin from having any idea where they were going. Merry flew the final few feet to 'The water' and then stopped short, Pippin cannoning into the back of him.

"What on earth?" Pippin panted coming around Merry then "OH!" he gasped in amazement, the water, which was usually a deep blue and surrounded by flowers and fisher hobbits relaxing or catching something for dinner, was pure crystal white and deserted. Pippin stared in awe; he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life before. He looked over to Merry.

Merry was searching around under the few trees that surrounded the water looking for a sizable piece of wood they could sit on, eventually he found one that was not too soggy and he brought it over to where Pippin stood motionless, staring at the ice that spread out in front of him over the entire lake. Merry placed the piece of wood on the ice and then stepped carefully onto it to test its security. If it took his weight it would take Pippins. With no issue the ice withstood the added pressure and Merry beckoned Pippin onto the ice. Pippin stuck one foot out in front of him and the stepped on the ice hardly feeling the cold through his thick skinned soles. He stepped carefully over to Merry, arms outstretched as if he were doing a balancing act, a look of pure terror on his face. This made Merry double over in a fit of hysterics and it was all he could do to keep his own balance and not go crashing down onto and maybe through the ice.

"Merry, what are we doing?" Pippins voice wavered slightly as he gripped Merry's arm with a fierce hold. Merry grinned wickedly at him and told him to sit on the piece of log he had found. Pippin, too scared to object, did as he was told.

"Now tuck your legs in, that's it and hold on really tight" Pippin gripped the sides of the log so tightly his knuckles began to go white. He felt Merry drag the piece of wood, Pippin still on it, up the snowy bank slightly and then he heard Merry turn and trudge away.

"Merry!" Pippins voice quavered with fear. He turned frantically but wasn't able to see Merry anywhere. He heard a rustle behind him, like someone removing a coat and then he heard footsteps, faster than before, Merry was running, running towards him. Suddenly he was thrown backwards as he felt Merry shove the log from behind and then scramble on. Pippin squealed, first in terror then enjoyment as the log and its two riders sped across the ice, the wind flying through his curls. He felt rather than heard Merry laugh behind him, Merry had one arm tucked around his cousin, the other securing both of them to the log, Pippin realised he had let go at the start. Suddenly they flew head first into a huge bank of cold, pure white snow which stopped them in their tracks. Pippin scrambled out of the snow not noticing the cold and turned to see where they had come from. It was an awfully long way. He turned and grinned at Merry who was now minus his coat and cloak and was sitting in a pile of snow in just his breeches and shirt. He had snow in his hair and specked on his eyebrows and Pippin burst out laughing at the sight of him.

Merry jumped up from his seat in the snow and grabbed hold of Pippin around the middle bringing the giggling hobbit to the ground and tickling his mercilessly until Pippin was screaming to be let go. Merry smiled. "Did you enjoy that?"

"Stupid question Merry" Pippin grinned, "Can I have another go, and why did you take you coat off?" Pippin gabbled in excitement and Merry placed his hands on his shoulders to get him to calm down.

"I took my coat off so it wouldn't get snowy and we'd have something warm to put on so whip yours off too Pip, and yes of course you can have another go!" Pippin struggled to get his cloak and coat off and nearly strangled himself in his hurry.

"Slow down Pip" Merry laughed at his cousin's desperation to get his outer clothes off

"Right now take the log over there, and then go and wait by that tree. Now when I say go, you are going to run as fast as you can at your log. When you get there jump on it without slowing down so you land on your stomach at full pelt and you should fly across!" Merry explained and gave a short demonstration though he didn't run too fast so he wouldn't go too far and leave Pippin too far behind.

When Merry returned with the log, Pippin was jumping up and down in his waiting spot, raring to go. Merry positioned the log and then stepped back.

"Right, go" he shouted and Pippin set off at full pelt. He missed the log by miles and landed on his front on the ice and slid quite away before the friction of his buttons slowed him to a stop. Merry couldn't contain himself and was soon lying, rolling on the ground helpless with laughter. Pippin, fortunately, was the same.

"Lets try again Pip" Merry breathed wiping his eyes when they had both finally recovered and after several interesting attempts Pippin was sliding across the ice, on the log, perfectly and very fast.

After a while it started to snow, making the ice even more slippery.

"One last go Pip, then we should be getting in doors, Frodo will have finished those lavender biscuits off if we don't get there before him!" They decided to go together; like they had the first time and Merry put Pippin on the log before backing off to make the run up. They got half way across the lake when the hit a patch of very wet ice and they span around throwing Merry onto the ice.

CRACK.

Merry stopped laughing and looked down at the ice he was sat on.

CRACK.

Pippin stopped pushing himself and the log back to Merry with his hands and looked at the ice he was sat on.

CRACK.

Before either of them could move they were both deposited into the freezing cold water below the ice. Pippin screamed in horror and tried desperately to get back onto the ice but with cold fingers he couldn't get a grip. He started flailing around in the water screaming for help, unable to feel any part of him. Suddenly he felt a huge hand reach in and grip the back of his jacket. He was hauled out of the water quickly and wrapped in a large grey cloak. He looked up to see a wizened face peering knowingly down at him.

"Fool of a Took" the voice was angry but the eyes sparkled with amusement. Pippin smiled up at Gandalf and then suddenly it struck him. Where was Merry!

"Merry!" he cried spinning around to the pool of ice water that had appeared before them and scrambled towards it. Gandalf pulled him back then cautiously approached himself, on his hands and knees making delicate precise movements fearing the ice may break beneath him at any time. "Idiotic Brandybuck" he muttered as he moved "No wonder I took a Baggins and not a Brandybuck with me when I had need of a hobbit" he reached the waters edge and peered into cautiously. Nothing but a few bubbles on the surface could be seen.

"BOO!" Merry flew up out of the water, droplets flying everywhere as Pippin screamed in fright and Gandalf nearly fell into the water in surprise. Merry was just congratulating himself on scaring them when he felt himself being gripped by the scruff of the neck and dragged from the water.

"What were you thinking?" Gandalf bellowed still holding the hobbit up to eyelevel by his collar. "You stupid Brandybuck, Brandybucks always were too comfortable near water, it's the Stoor in you, makes you careless, you could have drowned!" Before Merry could reply Gandalf deposited him on the ground and began to march Pippin back towards the bank and off towards Bag End. Pippin shot him a terrified look over his shoulder as he scurried along beside Gandalf only to see Merry again taken by a fit of hysterics and rolling around laughing, dangerously close to the edge of the ice. Merry managed to gather himself together and despite the odd snort when he pictured the look on Gandalf's face when he'd shot out of the water made it back to the bank without any further show of merriment. He collected his coat and cloak and turned back to Bag End. He ran down the road to keep himself warm and as he ran he began to sing at the top of his voice.

What'll we do with a drunken hobbit,  
What'll we do with a drunken hobbit,  
What'll we do with a drunken hobbit,  
Earl-aye in the morning?

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises  
Earl-aye in the morning

Shave his feet with a rusty razor

Shave his feet with a rusty razor

Shave his feet with a rusty razor

Earl-aye in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises  
Earl-aye in the morning

Put him in the forest til he's sober

Put him in the forest til he's sober

Put him in the forest til he's sober

Earl-aye in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises  
Earl-aye in the morning

Put him in a wheelbarrow with a hose pipe on him

Put him in a wheelbarrow with a hose pipe on him

Put him in a wheelbarrow with a hose pipe on him

Earl-aye in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises  
Earl-aye in the morning

Dunk him in the water til he's sober.

Dunk him in the water til he's sober.

Dunk him in the water til he's sober.

Earl-aye in the morning

Earl-aye in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises  
Earl-aye in the morning

That's what we do with a drunken hobbit,

That's what we do with a drunken hobbit,

That's what we do with a drunken hobbit,  
Earl-aye in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises  
Earl-aye in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises  
Earl-aye in the morning

Merry got louder and more boisterous with each verse, dancing down the road, very warm now, getting a series of unpleasant looks and scowls from the older hobbits and a chorus of giggles from the hobbit children helping their parents with Yule preparations, he suspected that many of them were muttering about unhobbit like manner, Brandybucks, uncontrolled, standards, but he didn't care, he was immensely happy and as he reached the gate for Bag End he finished his final chorus and then bowed to the audience of hobbits who had stopped to gawp at this mental pre tween as he sang himself silly. He then turned on his heel and marched through the round green door and into the warmth of Bag End.

He marched into the kitchen and found Frodo, Pippin, Bilbo and Gandalf, all sat around the fire on comfortable kitchen chairs, sipping hot cider. Merry grinned and walked over to Pippin, who had moved over on his chair to let him sit down and plonked himself in the available space, wrapping his young cousin in his arms and blowing down his ear to make him squirm. Gandalf eyed the young hobbits with a sad smile, he had a feeling, somehow, he couldn't identify the source, that these two young hobbits would one day be more involved and more important in the dealings of the wider world than they could ever dream and he could only trust to fate that they would emerge as carefree and untainted as they were now. His smile brightened, in Merry's case as carefree and untainted as a hobbit with his reputation could be. He also knew that one day these two hobbits would stop being cousins who played together and would become best friends, inseparable and completely dependent on each other and his heart saddened again slightly as he knew this was the way it had to be if they were to survive what terrible ordeal fate was hinting lay ahead of them.

"So, did you bring any fireworks then?" Merry peered at Gandalf suspiciously. Gandalf's fireworks were the best bit of the Yule celebration, that and the dancing and Merry was impatient to know if Gandalf was going to better last years display.

Gandalf's smile split his face and he laughed a deep, fruity laugh, hobbits always were the most impatient of creatures, "You Merry, will have to wait like everyone else to find out what I have in store for you, and don't you think I will forget about your little joke with the water this afternoon" Merry grinned at him, his eyes alight with mischief and jumped up from his seat dragging Pippin with him, clearly with another idea for chaos brewing in his mind. Frodo smiled to himself, he knew Merry might not like it that much, Pippin being so much younger than him, but they were fast becoming a pair and were known throughout the Shire as 'Merry and Pippin' rather than as it had been for several years, 'that blasted Brandybuck'. Then again, Frodo thought, maybe Merry wouldn't mind having someone to share the blame with.

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PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Concerning birthdays & best friends

Concerning Hobbits

Merry and Pippin are unexplored characters in the book and though obviously very close this friendship is never truly developed or touched upon. Here are several events from Merry and Pippins early lives up to and leading into the quest to destroy the ring. It's basically just me developing the story of my two favourite characters and bit more and detailing some of the mischief they no doubt got up to before they joined the fellowship. Enjoy, or not, whichever. PLEASE REVIEW! Flames help Sauron's fire burn so, no thank you! (The events are all dated by the way and this is all compltely accurate with the world Tolkien created, I researched meticulously, also if they seem a bit out of character remeber they are younger here and much more care free!)

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! (So there!) ALL THE WORK OF THE GENIUS THAT IS J.R.R. TOLKIEN!

**3002 – Concerning birthdays and best friends**

"MERRY!"

Merry groaned and rolled onto his side pulling his quilts with him.

"Now now Mer, that isn't the way to behave on your birthday, is it?" Pippin giggled down at his cousin from where he stood on Merry's bed. When he got no reply he began to bounce.

"Pippin you little monster leave Merry be" Frodo grinned as he came through the door carrying a tray groaning with a huge assortment of breakfast items.

Merry sat bolt upright and grinned sleepily at Frodo. "Do I smell Breakfast?" Frodo smiled.

"You do indeed, I thought I'd bring you breakfast in bed as treat now you are a tweenager" Pippin frowned slightly as he saw Merry's face darken momentarily but let it pass and began his bouncing again.

"Where's my present Merry?"

"Pippin!" Frodo scowled at his young cousin but Merry just laughed.

"Under the bed Pip" Pippin whooped with joy and flung himself to the floor and scuttled under the bed.

"Where?"

"Keep looking" Merry instructed as he and Frodo tucked into fresh blueberry pancakes.

"I can't see it!"

"It's there somewhere" Merry accepted his cup of nettle tea from Frodo with a smile and listened to the frantic scramblings of Pippin somewhere below them.

"Merry," an indignant and slightly dusty Pippin appeared on the opposite side of the bed, "it is not under the bed"

"I never said this bed did I Pip" Pippin scowled and looked on the verge of a rude comment when he quickly spun around and set about a search of every bedroom in Bag End, silently thanking goodness that they were still at Bag End and not in Brandy Hall which had a good deal more bed rooms.

"Are you sure you don't mind staying here for your birthday?" Frodo felt awkward that both of Merry's parents were occupied with Shire business for their only son's 20th birthday.

"Of course not Frodo, I can have much more fun here anyway" Frodo looked set to continue but was interrupted by a ear shattering whoop from Pippin. Merry smiled.

"He's found his gift then"

"What on middle earth did you get him" laughed Frodo as he and a now dressed Merry followed Pippins exclamations of delight into the smallest bedroom. There sat Pippin, his gift safely nestled in two hands gazing down at it in awe.

"Oh Merry, it's it's, thank you" Pippin gushed, eyes never leaving his hands.

"What on middle earth is it" whispered Frodo an amused smile spreading across his face.

"Well…"

"A mouse" squealed Pippin his eyes finally leaving the little bundle of fluff nestled in his hands to grin, eyes gleaming with excitement at his two older cousins.

"A mouse! Merry lad you think of the strangest things" Frodo laughed and shook his head as he departed to attend to the breakfast things.

"But why isn't he scared?" Pippin's voice returned to an awed whisper as his gaze slid back to the mouse nuzzling around his palms.

"Well, I brought him up see, so he knows me and ever since I thought of giving him to you as a gift he's slept with the shreds of one of your old shirts so he's quite used to your smell. What are you going to call him?" Merry sat down next to Pippin and tickled his finger down the little mouse's back, the mammal wiggling into the touch.

"Where'd you find him?"

"Farmer Maggot's farm last autumn"

"Then I shall call his trespass, because that is what you must have been doing dearest Merry when you found him" Pippin smiled and then turned back to his mouse and informed his of his new name. 'Trespass' pricked up his ears and nibbled at Pippins thumb affectionately.

"I think he likes it" laughed Merry.

*****

As the day wore on Pippin kept a closer watch on Merry, he hadn't forgotten the older hobbits decision to go to Bree when he reached his tweens even if it appeared Merry himself had. The day passed without unusual event and Pippin had all but decided that Merry meant not to go.

Then, a few hours after they had all retired to be Pippin was roused from his activities with Trespass by the sounds of a hobbit sneaking passed his door.

Creeping into the corridor he peered through the gloom at the retreating figure of a hobbit, a hobbit too short to be Frodo and too tall to be Bilbo returning, it was Merry.

"Caught you!" he giggled, flying through the air and latching onto said hobbits back bringing them both crashing to the ground.

"Pip, you moron" Merry and Pippin landed in a heap but did not stay that way for long, Pippin scrambling to his feet and sitting firmly on Merry.

"I'm not letting you go to Bree Meriadoc Brandybuck and that is final!"

"I'm not going Pip"

"Nothing you can say will sway…what?

"I'm… not going" Merry blushed sli8ghtly but it was still visible even though the poor lighting.

"But you told Fatty Bolger that when you reached your tweens you were going to Bree"

"Well, I'm not thinking of going just yet, I have only just become a tween you know, ten long years in which to make said trip"

"Then where are you going?" Merry gently pushed Pippin off him and climbed to his feet brushed himself down; Pippin noticed he was wearing his best waistcoat and crisp, ironed shirt and breeches. Pippin scrambled to his feet and tugged on Merry's arm.

"Where are you going?" Merry bit his lip and then looked down at his younger cousin.

"Fatty and Sylus are… well… they're having a party… for me" Merry looked swiftly away from Pippin noting the sudden flash of hurt in the younger hobbits eyes.

"Oh…I see, well you have fun" Pippin threw Merry a forced smile and then disappeared back into his bedroom, softly shutting the door and leaving Merry alone in the passageway.

"Thank you" Merry's words were heard only by the cloaks hung by the door and the ticking clock that Bilbo had brought back from one of his many visits to go know where.

Pippin sat on his bed and stared at the door he had just come through, praying he wouldn't hear the tell tale squeak of Bag End perfectly circular green door being opened and then closed. He shut his eyes tight and tried to block out the sound, hoping that if he didn't hear it, although he still could, perfectly well, Merry would be tucked up in bed and Pippin could just creep down the hallway and slid into his bedroom and they'd spend the whole night, laughing and stealing food from the kitchen like they used to when… when Merry was younger.

Pippin sighed, Merry was a tweenager now, too grownup to hang around with Pippin who was still only twelve, they'd end up spending less and less time together and then eventually Merry would come of age and take over the running of Buckland and then…

Pippin squeezed his eyes tighter, hoping to dispel the tears forming behind his lids and snuggled down under the duvet, willing himself back to a time when Merry wasn't grown up and when it could just be them, when Merry could still be his best friend.

*****

"Pippin!" Merry hissed peering into the dark room.

"Next door along Merry" Frodo mumbled sleepily.

"Oh, sorry Frodo" Merry gave a drunken giggle and shuffled backwards out of the room.

"Glad it was a good party Merry" Frodo muttered to himself and the comforter as the door shut behind the wobbling hobbit.

"Pip, wake up" Merry stumbled into Pippin's room and cursed loudly as his toe met the end of the bed.

"Merry? What on middle earth are you doing?"

"I decided my party was missing some one" Pippin felt a hand tighten around his wrist and before he could object he was being tugged down the passageway in nothing but his nightshirt and out into the cool night air.

"Mer, for heavens…" Merry just shook his head and grabbing a bundle by the door way stared to climb up the side of Bag End. Pippin sighed, he didn't want to hear about Merry's party, it still stung in his chest, but then again this might be one of the last time Merry was able to talk to him, he had to make the most of it, so, sighing again Pippin lent forwards until his palms connected with the dewy grass and began to slowly ascend the smooth mound that made up the outer shell of Bag End.

"Right," Pippin puffed slightly after his difficult climb which he had to restart several times, eyes finally lighting on Merry propped up against the old oak, wrapped in a huge blanket and puffin on his pipe. Pippin flopped down beside him and began to twiddle a blade of Grass between his fingers. "So, who was missing from this party then" If they were going to talk about this then he'd rather get it over with so they could move onto something else.

"Oh, only my best friend" Merry inhaled deeply from his pipe and then released a circle of smoke into the crisp air.

Something twinged deep in Pippin's chest but after a moment he managed to continue. "Fatty couldn't make it after all then"

"Yes, Fatty was there, and Sylus, everyone really" Pippin bit down on his lip to prevent himself from sighing out loud and then cleared his throat desperate to dislodge the lump that had become stuck there.

"Who then?" It was meant as a normal question but it came out as only a whisper.

"You then" Merry whispered back, gaze turning to Pippin for the first time since they had arrived on top of the hole.

"Oh" wait "What, me?" Pippin felt happiness begin to swell in his chest and his breathing didn't seem to be quite right as he shuffled closer to Merry, pleading with whoever that he hadn't misheard that Merry had meant that.

"Of course you Pippin! I only have one best friend and that my little hobbit, is you!" Pippin's eyes nearly pooped out of his head as he stared at Merry in delight and disbelief. Merry, was his best friend.

"Now, that trip to Bree, when I said I wasn't going yet, I didn have a kind of plan as to when I was going to go, I was thinking about eight years time"

Pippin frowned "But you'll be twenty eight by then Merry, even I'll be… I'll be twenty"

"Well done, I knew Aunt Eglantine would teach you your number correctly Pip"

"But…"

"I thought we could go together, when were both in our tweens" Merry blushed slightly but Pippin just grinned ear to ear and threw himself on top of Merry in as big a hug as his small arms could manage.

"I think that's a fabulous idea Merry, you are too clever" Merry grinned and pulled them both upright, tucking Pippin under the blanket and allowing the younger hobbit to snuggle up to him.

"Am I really your best friend Merry?" Pippin tilted his head so he could look past Merry auburn curls and see his face highlighted by streaks of moonlight.

"There's no one else in the world it could be Pippin and I wouldn't have it any other way" Pippin sighed, in contentment this time, and watched the spirals of smoke winding upward to the stars as he slowly fell into a peaceful sleep.

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